Heated Rivalry: nothing but some heartburn, baby by SirMxALotts
Jan. 24th, 2026 07:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mific posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
fancakeCharacters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov
Rating: Explicit
Length: 4639
Content Notes: Discussion of unplanned pregnancy and of abortion as a treatment option.
Creator Links: SirMxALotts on AO3
Themes: Crack treated seriously, Canon LGBTQ+ characters, Mpreg, Established relationship
Summary: Most people in Shane’s position would call a doctor after two positive tests, but Shane isn't most people, so instead of doing that, he takes 17 tests over the course of two days.
Final result: 16 positive, one negative.
Reccer's Notes: A classic crack trope this time: Mpreg. In this story's worldbuilding, some men can "carry", and Shane initially thinks he's not one of them. That's proved wrong, and he then faces a choice, which is where the "taken seriously" part comes in, as it's the same difficult choice any woman faces with an unplanned pregnancy. Rather than an unrealistic tropey outcome, Shane (after ignoring the whole problem for a while) finally talks to Ilya about it and makes his decision. I enjoyed the realism and the way Ilya was supportive without trying to persuade Shane one way or the other. We don't see the final outcome, but the story covers enough so that we know Shane's decision.
Fanwork Links: nothing but some heartburn, baby
posts I am not making
Jan. 23rd, 2026 07:17 pmsnickfic- Heated Rivalry
- movies I've seen (Impromptu, Testament of Ann Lee)
- my recent hip hop binge and especially why I like Glorilla so much
- the Oscars
- like five different
snowflake_challenge postsweekend open thread – January 24-25, 2026
Jan. 24th, 2026 12:07 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
askamanager_feed
This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand.
Here are the rules for the weekend posts.
Book recommendation of the week: The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, by Melinda Taub. In this amusing retelling of Pride and Prejudice, Lydia is a witch, Kitty is a cat (although thanks to a spell, everyone but Lydia believes she’s another Bennet sister), and Mr. Wickham is a literal demon. (Amazon, Bookshop)
Please enjoy this painting of Laurie by extremely talented reader Istra, inspired by this ridiculous photo! Here are more.
* I earn a commission if you use those links.
The post weekend open thread – January 24-25, 2026 appeared first on Ask a Manager.
[ SECRET POST #6958 ]
Jan. 23rd, 2026 07:27 pmcase posting in fandomsecrets⌈ Secret Post #6958 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
[All secrets have content warnings today!]
( More! )
Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 00 pages, 00 secrets from Secret Submission Post #993.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
Daily Check In.
Jan. 23rd, 2026 05:23 pmadafrog posting in fandom_checkinHow are you doing?
I am okay
9 (56.2%)
I am not okay, but don't need help right now
7 (43.8%)
I could use some help.
0 (0.0%)
How many other humans are you living with?
I am living single
6 (37.5%)
One other person
7 (43.8%)
More than one other person
3 (18.8%)
Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.
the_mary_sue_feed
She sent her BÉIS suitcase off on its maiden voyage with hope in her heart and a camera rolling. One Dallas woman innocently videoed the start of her new suitcase’s first journey. Who knew the clip would later be used in a before-and-after with shocking results?
Unfortunately, the pristine, influencer-approved hard shell came back looking like it lost a bar fight with the baggage carousel. Naturally, the internet is now asking the real question: how is it that a beat-up $60 Ross suitcase survives years of chaos, but a brand-new designer carry-all can’t make it through a single trip?
The 10 Best Platformer Games of All Time
Jan. 23rd, 2026 10:25 pmthe_mary_sue_feed
Dark Souls. Bloodborne. Sekiro. What do all of these ridiculously difficult throw-your-controller-at-the TV-screen games have in common? They’ve got NOTHING on old-school platformers. Were they video games or exercises in sadomasochism? As the decades pass since the platform genre’s creation, the answer still isn’t clear. Classic platformer games required the reflexes of a cat, the patience of a turtle, and the emotional composure of a full-grown capybara. Deviously difficult, half of these games could be described as “fun” in the same way the peanut butter could be described as “minty fresh,” which is to say: not at all. Veteran gamers know that platformers aren’t really games, but digital life-and-death scenarios meant to test one’s mental fortitude. And these platformers? They’re the greatest (and some of the most frustrating) of all time.
Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 was marketed to children, which, in retrospect, could be considered a crime. Don’t let pastel pixels of this happy-go-lucky plumber’s mushroom world fool you, Super Mario 64 is capable of childhood-trauma inducing levels of frustration and woe. The game is objectively a masterpiece, one where Mario must “whoopee” and “yahoo” his way through a menagerie of creative worlds to save Princess Peach from the turtle/dragon/dinosaur clutches of the evil Bowser. While the game’s first level, Bomb-omb Battlefield, lulled young players into a false sense of security, veteran gamers still speak with reverence about the horrors they experienced at later levels like Tick Tock Clock. Super Mario 64 set the bar for the modern-day platformer, and changed the face of gaming forever… by filling that face’s eyes with frustrated tears.
the_mary_sue_feed
Donald Trump’s attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was marked by extreme chaos. If you have missed the latest updates from the event, Trump made a fool of himself with one faulty claim after another. One of the many assertions he made during his visit was that the US gave Greenland to Denmark after World War II, which is, of course, false. Anyone who has picked up a history book would know that. Anyway, this piece is not about that; it is about something else, which, if not more, is equally obnoxious.
Multiple journalists interviewed Donald Trump while he was in Davos, Switzerland, to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. Among them, notably, Kaitlan Collins from CNN asked Trump to explain the reasoning behind his decision to include Russian president Vladimir Putin in his highly ambitious “Board of Peace”, despite having spoken publicly on multiple occasions that Russia is an adversary of the United States, trying to take control of Greenland, and that the US should “own” the territory. In response to Collins’ question, Trump revealed that the members invited to join his “Board of Peace” were selected with careful consideration because he believed they would be good at their jobs. He also remarked that the selection was based on the degree of “control” and the extent of “power” possessed by the nations. Trump further mentioned that if he had put babies on his board, it wouldn’t have been very beneficial. His exact words in this context were:
The Usual Suspects Are Mad That Darth Maul Is Alive…
Jan. 23rd, 2026 09:06 pmthe_mary_sue_feed
It really is predictable at this point. Any major franchise releases a trailer or a new show or movie and we’re subjected to a group of YouTube grifters and their bad takes. It is happening with Starfleet Academy and is happening with the new trailer for Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord.
Fans of Clone Wars are well aware of the fact that Darth Maul is alive and well after The Phantom Menace. Even though Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) cuts him in half, he still looms over the franchise until Star Wars Rebels in another face off with Kenobi.
the_mary_sue_feed
It’s unlikely that you ever get to know your contractor, or anything about their life beyond surface-level niceties and whatever relates directly to the project you’re working on together. Most interactions remain strictly professional, during which you may talk about timelines, budgets, materials, and then move on.
That’s why one New York couple ended up with what TikTokers call an “original experience.” When they stopped by their nearly finished home one night, they found their contractor inside the house unexpectedly, and not for anything related to work.
What I'm Reading: The Red Chesterfield by Wayne Arthurson (2019)
Jan. 22nd, 2026 02:33 pmdelphikingstoken's 2026 Book Bingo: First Person POVThe Red Chesterfield by Wayne Arthurson is a 2019 crime novella (with a touch of magical realism) about a bylaw enforcement officer, M, who finds a body while investigating an abandoned chesterfield. The incident leaves M shaken and drawn into more than one mystery as the chesterfield keeps appearing and a regular on M's route disappears. But the book is less interested in answering "whodunnit" than it is with looking at characters' decisions about getting involved in crime and drama and how priorities around family, romantic relationships, career, community, truth and justice can shift the usual narrative shape of the genre.
This is one of those books that I want to take apart with a little eyeglass screwdriver to see how it works. It's an absolute marvel of efficiency. It's only 99 pages (that exact number being by design, I suspect) with large text and several half-page chapters, but it's packed with story. It covers a lot of ground without feeling like it's moving as fast as it is. We get to know so much about who M is as a person but from a deep enough position that we skip a lot of high-level markers or exposition. This story is built on implication and inference, and the reader's principally assigned to solving the protagonist rather than the plot.
I really enjoyed this one, and I'm looking forward to checking out the author's other work.
( An Excerpt )
the_mary_sue_feed
Stringent immigration laws have largely characterised Trump’s second term as the President of the United States. Since last year, Trump, with the help of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been cracking down on the immigrant population residing in America, causing widespread resentment among people. While most do not have a problem with Trump cornering undocumented immigrants and subjecting them to the law, they have an issue with how he and the ICE under him are going about the process, which is often disrespectful, harsh, and violent.
As Trump’s war on immigrants continues in the United States, there is growing concern among people that his efforts in this area are also negatively impacting other aspects of American life. Currently, a video is circulating on social media, especially on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), which, as of this writing, has accumulated thousands of likes and comments. In it, a medical health professional from Minnesota can be seen enlisting the adverse effects of ICE’s presence on roads on expectant mothers. Highlighting the growing distress among pregnant women scared of being “targeted” by ICE, the individual notes that “patients are missing, cancelling, or deferring important appointments for prenatal care.” She also highlights that several departments of hospitals dedicated to caring for pregnant women are comparatively less populated, which is a sign that women are reluctant to seek “urgent” medical care despite needing it. She further mentions a significant increase in requests for home births, with individuals who previously would not have considered it, or those for whom it is unsafe, now asking about this option. She also observes the noticeable absence of family members during childbirth, as they are either detained by officials or staying home to avoid deportation by ICE.
the_mary_sue_feed
At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Jan. 22, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered a fiery speech that burned through the whole of Europe. He dragged the leaders inside Europe who, in Zelenskyy’s words, are helping dismantle it from within. But there was a special mention even without direct mention: Viktor Orban.
Zelenskyy’s Davos speech came at a moment of strain for Europe. He began by criticizing Europe as a “fragmented kaleidoscope of small and middle powers” (via Reuters). He described the continent as “lost” and failing to take unified and decisive action against Moscow’s aggression in Ukraine. And soon, he accused the EU of responding to crises only after damage is done. That criticism followed a blunt warning:
the_mary_sue_feed
A woman has a message for the Uncrustables company, J.M Smuckers: Do not mess with her peanut butter Uncrustables. And preferably, do not put jelly in all of them.
In a video posted by Adrian (@adrianbosi5), a substitute teacher from Tennessee issued an official complaint after she was unable to find any peanut butter Uncrustables in her local Target. Instead, the store only had Uncrustables with jelly.
the_mary_sue_feed
After the controversy surrounding Renee Good’s death, one would expect that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would be more careful about its dealings while conducting raids. However, that has not been the case, and there are no indications that they plan to change their approach anytime soon.
In reports released by multiple news outlets recently, it was revealed that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had detained a 5-year-old on Tuesday. His name is Liam Conejo Ramos, and he was allegedly seized from his family car after returning from school. Zena Stenvik, the superintendent of Columbia Heights Public Schools, during a news conference on Wednesday, revealed some additional disturbing details about the incident, noting that another adult individual was living in the home who was outside who “begged” the agents to let them take care of Ramos, but they denied. Stenbvik also stated that the agents led Ramos “to the door and directed him to knock on the door, asking to be let in, in order to see if anyone else was home — essentially using a 5-year-old as bait.”
David Beckham breaks his silence after son Brooklyn’s bombshell allegations
Jan. 23rd, 2026 06:31 pmthe_mary_sue_feed
David Beckham addressed the viral comments from Brooklyn Beckham about the reported feud with his family. This week, social media has buzzed with speculation about the younger Beckham’s comments about his parents sabotaging his marriage with Nicola Peltz Beckham.
Both David and Victoria Beckham have come under scrutiny because of the allegations leveled by their kid. At the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, the football icon referenced the social media posts and offered his perspective on the entire situation. Beckham began on CNBC’s Squawk Box, “I have always spoken about social media and the power of social media. For the good and for the bad.” So, the father views this as emblematic of social media lashing out. But, Beckham doesn’t name Brooklyn or the situation directly.
the_mary_sue_feed
There’s been a lot of public drama concerning the Beckhams in the last couple of weeks that has amused people. However, as it turns out, this drama isn’t new and has, in fact, existed for years.
There were a few clear signs that the Beckham family had a rift with their eldest son, Brooklyn Beckham, but it was only at the end of last year that the public got full confirmation. In December, reports surfaced that David and Victoria Beckham had unfollowed Brooklyn. Cruz Beckham, the third eldest child, denied these claims by posting a screenshot of a Daily Mail article, stating, “NOT TRUE…My mum and dad would never unfollow their son.. Let’s get the facts right. They woke up blocked… as did I.”
the_mary_sue_feed
A woman tried to order tampons on DoorDash, only for her delivery driver to offer her completely different products.
TikTok user Squasha (@iloveeemyman444) posted screenshots from a particularly frustrating DoorDash delivery in a TikTok that currently has over 635,000 views. Her male delivery driver seemingly did not know the difference between tampons and pads. When Squasha specifically clarified that she wanted tampons, the male driver sent her a photo of diapers, not the tampons she specifically requested.